The Buffalo Bills and their general manager Doug Whaley did not place the franchise tag on the 27-year-old Byrd likely because they have too many holes to fill elsewhere. The franchise tag would have cost the Bills $8.433 million in 2014. Buffalo will only take Byrd at a discount, and there is nothing to entice the three-time All-Pro safety as the Bills are not expected to be contenders in 2014.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Byrd was the eighth-best safety in 2013.

Pro Football Focus' system penalizes players for missing games, and despite playing in only 11 games in 2013, Byrd was rated ahead of Seattle's Earl Thomas. The Oregon standout was rated behind Devin McCourty, Will Hill, T.J. Ward, Eric Berry, Troy Polamalu, Donte Whitner and Eric Weddle.

With no shortage of suitors, there is no reason to believe that Byrd will not, at least, match Dashon Goldson's five-year deal with Tampa Bay, worth $41.25 million with $18 million guaranteed.

Speaking of the Buccaneers, Byrd's father, Gil, is Tampa Bay's cornerbacks coach, but with Mark Barron and Goldson in town already, a family reunion is unlikely. The other connections for Byrd are Browns head coach Mike Pettine, who was Buffalo's defensive coordinator in 2013 and Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, who was Oregon's offensive coordinator when Byrd played there.

Both the Eagles and Browns have the cap space to make Byrd the league's highest-paid safety.